12 Flavored Ice Cubes That Make a Splash

Flavored ice cubes are like jewelry for your drink — eye-catching and loaded with personality.
They’re also functional: As the cubes melt, they add hits of flavor, turning even a plain glass of water into an aromatic sip. The best part is that these cubes are a cinch to make, often requiring nothing more than “chop, add water, freeze.” Ready to get chilly with it?

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HIBISCUS

Though this pretty flowering plant has some edible species, play it safe and use only dried hibiscus made for consumption to create these crimson cubes. The flowers should be boiled and steeped as though you’re making tea before pouring the cooled liquid into ice-cube trays.

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BASIL

If you bought basil to make your favorite pesto and were wondering what to do with the leftovers, this is it: The herb frozen into cubes makes a savory sidekick to sweet lemonade.

Think iced coffee is so great it can’t be improved on? Try throwing a few vanilla ice cubes in the cup — mind blown. (Same goes for iced chai.) The sweet, creamy cubes are made with almond milk, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean

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CUCUMBER-BASIL, ORANGE-LIME AND LEMON-RASPBERRY-MINT

These savory and sweet combos prove there are no limits to in the world of flavored ice cubes. Just head over to your local market and see what looks good in the produce section!

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LAVENDER

A lavender-flower ice cube not only makes a colorful addition to water or iced tea, but also brings out the flavor of gin and bourbon. The dried variety should be boiled before turning into cubes. Bonus: Add some chopped basil before freezing for an even bolder taste as the cubes melt.

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LEMON

When life gives you lemons, make… lemon ice cubes. Follow a basic lemonade recipe: Squeeze a few lemons into a bowl, then add some sugar and water. But instead of pouring the liquid into a pitcher, pour it into ice cube trays. When you add a few of these boldly colored cubes to water or a Tom Collins, it’s like capturing sunshine in a glass.

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CHOCOLATE

This is a quick way to give a glass of milk a makeover. As these dark chocolate cubes melt, they leave their cocoa goodness behind. Though the recipe says adding a tablespoon of instant coffee is optional, don’t skip it: The granules make the chocolate more intense without leaving a coffee taste.

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STRAWBERRY

These ripe, red strawberries frozen in extra-large cubes are so gorgeous, they could be art — only they’re too delicious not to eat! Try them in water, lemonade or sparkling wine.

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APPLE-CINNAMON

Add an unexpected kick to apple cider with these sweet cubes, made with real apples. A splash of vodka turns your drink into a festive cocktail.

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RAINBOW

These inventive cubes were made with seven colored liquids, including Gatorade, for a gin and tonic (chilled to prevent the ice from melting too quickly). If you swap in another beverage, make sure it’s colorless. When dropping in the cubes, follow the order of the rainbow — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — for maximum wow factor.